Many handheld devices for assisting a person in throwing a generally spherical object are known in the art. Examples of some such devices include lacrosse sticks and jai alai cestas or a xistera, another throwing device is a lacrosse stick, also known as a crosse, having a long-handled meshed scoop. Also, children's toys have been developed for playing catch with lightweight balls. A safe, easy to use, and economical to manufacture throwing apparatus is a long felt need for playing golf-type games. Golf is a popular game, but despite of its popularity, golf remains expensive, the equipment can be costly and the game is time consuming to learn. Only golf players with experience and a high level of skill can predictably and repeatedly obtain the ball spin they desire, and they use such spin within their game to direct the trajectory of their shots to efficiently play the game with minimum number of strokes.
Within the recreational equipment market, there is still a need for a kit and method of operation to help a player to achieve a higher level of competence by developing a better swing or by achieving a marginal level of increased proficiency over competitors.
Further, there is need for a throwing apparatus of the present invention allowing wider scope to play several golf-type games and further the target unit eliminates the need of a well maintained and costlier golf course for practicing or playing a golf-type game.
Numerous innovations have been provided in prior art that are adapted to a throwing apparatus and its method of operation. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific purposes to which they address, however, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention.
For example, U.S. Design Pat. No. D183,084 to Carlson discloses an ornamental design for a ball catching and throwing device. U.S. Design Pat. No. D637,248 to Levin et al. describes an ornamental design for a ball thrower. U.S. Design Pat. No. D729,329 to Williams teaches an ornamental design for a ball throwing toy. U.S. Design Pat. No. D748,748 to Van Alen et al. discloses an ornamental design for an athletic stick head. U.S. Design Pat. No. D58,511 to Williams describes an ornamental design for a pet toy thrower. U.S. Design Pat. No. D768,796 to Evans et al. teaches an ornamental design for a projectile throwing apparatus. U.S. Design Pat. No. D781,974 to Nimes et al. discloses an ornamental design for a toy ball catcher. U.S. Design Pat. No. D782,588 to Fryer et al. describes an ornamental design for a projectile launching device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,978 to Wiest Jr. discloses a ball projecting and catching device comprising a hand held projecting and catching device for maintaining a ball in a continuous orbit. It includes a catching portion disposed atop a delivery chute and terminating in a tossing spoon having an angularly disposed front wall which projects the ball backwardly toward the catching portion when the spoon is quickly elevated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,329 to Spreitzer describes a roll and catch toy involve the progressive advance of a ball from one end of an arched track to the other end where it drops through an opening and may be caught in a receptacle located remote from said opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,339 to Fortunato teaches a molded plastic cesta formed with all but the glove portion defined by a single integrally molded plastic part or body portion, the pilota launching surface of which is generally straight and integrally connected to an arcuate inner ramp surface which is integrally connected to a second straight segment oriented perpendicular to the first or launching surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,413 to David discloses a game device for holding and propelling a ball therefrom upon swinging movement which includes an elongated shaft having a chute member for holding the ball. The chute member is pivoted to the shaft for swinging movement through approximately a 180° arc and the shaft itself is intended to be held similarly as a golf club for swinging movement through an arc of swing in the manner of a golf club for propelling the ball therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,039 to Cornelio describes a unitary ball hurling and catching scoop comprising a crescent-shaped receptacle and handle segments. The receptacle segment includes a remote up-sloped section connected to a pocket section. The pocket section is connected to the handle segment.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,015,968 to Christ teaches a throwing device that includes an approximately straight and elongated shaft extending distally from a proximal end thereof to a distal portion of the device. The distal portion includes a projectile retainer and a projectile track extending distally from the retainer to a distal tip of the device. The projectile retainer, when in a closed position, holds a projectile in a fixed position with respect to the device. When the shaft is gripped and swung through an arc, the retainer opens to release the projectile along the projectile track, by the swinging motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,418,681 to Levin et al. discloses a ball thrower comprising a throwing end and a reserve end. The throwing end provides for a ball to be held and released from the ball thrower during a throwing motion. The reserve end provides a compartment to hold the ball securely when the ball thrower is not in use. Further, a first and a second ball may be maintained at the throwing end and at the reserve end, respectively.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,539,939 and 8,887,707 to Minneman et al. describes a hand held disk thrower consisting of a pivoting extended arm and launching head connected to a gripping handle that allows a wide ratios secondary action. The launch head and arm section are attached to the handle by a pivoting joint that allows for a free or flopping movement of a head arm section. The thrower is designed to release a spinning disk when swung in an arc by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,857,419 to Hansen teaches a pet ball launcher comprising a pivot hinged handle for added launch inertia, and a thumb latch to prevent hinging motion for fixed and controlled distanced ball launching. The launcher uses a friction fit, scoop edges, and tuned tines or “fingers” to provide control release of the ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,149,695 to Evans describes a projectile throwing apparatus comprising a handle, an elongate shaft, and a throwing head for throwing a projectile, such as a golf ball. The throwing head may be interchangeable with golf shafts of varied lengths, with lacrosse shafts, or other shafts to achieve accurate, long distance golf ball throws. The throwing head may be shaped to achieve throws of different distance, launch angle, and trajectory, optionally imparting spin with a retrograde ramp at the distal end of the throwing head. The throwing apparatus is useful for golf-type game play, including for those with physical disabilities, as well as for a training and instructional aid for golf, lacrosse, and other sports.
U.S. Patent Application No. 20060229136 to Presley teaches an alternative to the game of golf utilizing any conventional golf course while incorporating a plurality of elevated target disks having a vertical planar attitude and a circular central opening, a ball having an outer diameter substantially lesser than that of the circular central opening in the target disks, and a variety of ball launchers each having the ability to accept various handle implements. The goal of the game is to either strike or penetrate the target disks in as few tosses as possible from the T-off point.
U.S. Patent Application Nos. 20150007803 and 20150018129 to Van Alen et al. disclose a game stick comprising a shaft with a head at one end, wherein the head comprises a channel. A ball is placed in the channel and when the game stick is swung, the ball rides along the channel and is released therefrom to fly through the air. The head may be adjustable to affect the way in which the ball is thrown. The game is similar to golf except that instead of hitting the ball, the ball is thrown toward a target location at the end of a fairway. When the target location is reached, the game stick may be used as a putter to push or putt the ball to sink it into a sunken cup in the ground.
U.S. Patent Application No. 20150090237 to Williams describes a long-distance projectile throwing toy comprising a launching section hingedly attached at one end to a handle section. The distal end of the launching section includes a ball holder for releasably securing a ball/projectile loosely enough to allow the ball to fly out of the ball holder when the device is whipped by the user.
U.S. Patent Application No. 20160096095 to Williams teaches a disc projectile throwing toy includes a disc placed in and thrown from the toy, a handle section, and a launching section hinged to and whippably rotatable with respect to the handle section. The distal end of the launching section includes a disc holder adapted to releasably hold the disc.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations for a throwing apparatus have been developed in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. Thus a kit and method for playing a golf-type game comprising at least one ball, at least one throwing apparatus such as a throwing rod, and at least one target unit is needed.